The present invention relates generally to patient positioning systems and relates more particularly to a novel patient positioning system and to a novel rail for use in said patient positioning system.
It is often difficult for sick and/or disabled persons to move from one position to another position inside a room or between rooms. One approach to this problem has been to provide a patient positioning system that may be used to reposition the patient as needed. Such patient positioning systems often include (i) an overhead rail system that is mounted to the ceiling and (ii) a hoist system that is slidably mounted in the rail system, the hoist system typically including a harness in which the patient may be supported and a motorized mechanism for raising and lowering the harness so that the patient may be lifted and lowered, respectively, as needed. The hoist system may be manually slid from one location within the rail system to another location within the rail system; alternatively, the patient positioning system may additionally include motorized means for moving the hoist system from one location within the rail system to another location within the rail system.
One example of a patient positioning system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,663, inventor Pettit, issued Dec. 25, 1973, which patent is incorporated herein by reference. In this patent, there is disclosed an ambulatory system for use by debilitated ambulatory patients and the like. The system consists of a track network including a primary track, which extends the length of communicating corridors, and a plurality of secondary tracks, each extending from a point in close proximity with the primary track, and terminating at a point remote therefrom, and a traveling truck, supported by the track network, having a harness depending therefrom for substantially supporting the weight of a human body in suspension for assisting the patients in walking along the corridors as well as to enter and depart from various areas through which the secondary tracks are extended.
Another example of a patient positioning system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,256, inventor Capaldi, issued Apr. 30, 1996, which patent is incorporated herein by reference. In this patent, there is disclosed a patient lift system that incorporates a transverse bar which carriers a patient lift system for movement between two laterally extending bars. The transverse bar is mounted at the same vertical height as the laterally extending bars and carriers a motor for lifting and lowering the patient. The transverse bar is at the same vertical height as the laterally extending bars. The system also includes a frame that includes an improved corner bracket and also includes vertical adjustment for the legs to achieve leveling of the overall frame. In another feature, a patient lift bar includes four lift points, with two forward lift points spaced by a greater distance than the two rearward lift points to provide greater support to the rear of the patient while the additional distance in the front facilitates entry and removal of the patient lift system.
Other documents relating to patient positioning systems include the following, all of which are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 7,634,825, inventors Chepurny et al., issued Dec. 22, 2009; U.S. Pat. No. 7,534,066, inventors Lolk et al., issued May 19, 2009; U.S. Pat. No. 7,350,247, inventor Bøgh-Sørensen, issued Apr. 1, 2008; U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,621, inventors Chepurny et al., issued Jul. 10, 2007; U.S. Pat. No. 7,021,427, inventors Skovgaard et al., issued Apr. 4, 2006; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2010/0051889, inventors Chepurny et al., published Mar. 4, 2010; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2010/0043140, inventor Chepurny, published Feb. 25, 2010; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2009/0199335, inventor Guldmann, published Aug. 13, 2009.